FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This application pertains to tools with handles. More particularly, this application pertains to such tools having means permitting use of an extensible handle. In a preferred embodiment, this application pertains to paint rollers with extensible handles.
Paint rollers having operator engagable handles are old and well known. Examples of such rollers are shown in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,529 and U.S. Pat. Design 262,075. The aforesaid patents show a paint roller having a hollow handle with a paint roller rotatably connected to the handle and perpendicular thereto. In use of the paint roller, an operator grasps the handle to perform the painting operation.
As discussed in the aforesaid U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,429, an extension pole can be used with the paint roller. The handle bore is recessed such that an extension pole can be forced into the handle and by frictional engagement kept within the handle. Column 3, lines 24-30 of the aforesaid U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,529 notes that the prior art included threaded connectors by which a shielded roller could be attached to an extension pole. However, the aforesaid patent notes that the prior art threaded connectors were cumbersome and often difficult to use.
An example of a threaded connector for use with a paint roller or the like is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,852 to Cupp, et al., dated Mar. 25, 1980. In Cupp, the threaded connector is exposed at the free end of the handle such that when an extension pole is connected with the handle a moment is generated at the free end.